Far Too Short for Running!
by doctorroselove
Summary: The Doctor and Rose discuss the length of her catering outfit from 'Rise of the Cyberman/The Age of Steel.' One shot containing fluff and humour! xx


**Disclamier: I do not own Doctor Who OR these characters. If only!**

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"Right!" he announced. "Where to next Miss Tyler? Anywhere at all. Any time. Any place. Anyone.. I am yours to command!" He paused for a micro-second to tug at his ear. "_Weelll._. I _say_ I'm yours to command but really I'm yours to command the TARDIS to command where we end up! You command me, I command her and off we go! That is, if she chooses to listen to me telling her what you've told me to tell her.."

"Huh?" Rose muttered but The Doctor was already long lost in his tangent.

She briefly wondered if she should interrupt his monologue, as she usually did when he went off like this when she caught The Doctor staring at her. The expression on his face implied that she should be keeping up, easily.

Rose blanched for a second. "Yes?" she offered up as a response.

Clearly, that was the correct answer as he took off at full speed once again. Rose cast her mind back and realised that she had never once let him finish one of these ramblings. Wondering if they truly had an end, she tuned back in for a second.

He was now talking about the Ood. "You, Rose Tyler, would be an awful slave. Terrible! No sense of authority and even less respect for it! I can't decide which was worse, dinner lady or maid at your would-be-mother-if-you-lived-in-a-parallel-universe's birthday party! Which did you prefer?"

"Dinner lady, definitely," she replied. "That uniform I had wear at Jackie's party was a little _too_ short for my liking. Not to mention cold and impossible to keep down as I ran for my life!"

"Looked good though," The Doctor offered.

"What?" Rose responded. Surely she had misheard him?

"I said it looked good. Although you're right that it didn't stay put when you were running. _Or_ climbing up that rope ladder.."

"Hey! You what?"

The Doctor obviously didn't hear her. He was now gazing at her jean-clad legs with a small smile on his face.

She coughed pointedly. "Oi! Eyes up top, mate."

The Doctor snapped out of his daze, looking suitably abashed. He cleared his throat. "Sorry," he said.

Rose barely heard him. She was too far lost in her own thoughts. She could have sworn The Doctor had just been staring at her legs with.. longing? If she didn't know any better she would think he wanted her.

Their relationship had always been difficult to define and it was not getting any easier with time. It wasn't as if he'd never flirted with her before. He'd called her beautiful, after all. It was just so hard to tell what he really felt. This new regeneration was so cheeky. So flirty. And more than a little bit foxy..

The entire duration that they'd been together, he'd held her hand and hugged her more often than not. She had often caught him beaming at her when he thought she wasn't looking. He never corrected those who assumed they were a couple. In fact, it was almost as if he were possessive when anybody else showed an interest in her. He took an instant dislike to Mickey. And Adam. Even Jack, in the beginning.

Why was that? Did he _fancy _her? Was that even possible? She had thought that impossible. Surely Time Lords were an asexual race? She was sure he'd mentioned that in one of his rants. But then again, maybe not..

She started putting all the little moments together and the evidence was pretty damning. He _did_ want her.

Rose couldn't believe it. All this time she'd been completely in love with him and he.. Was he? There was only one way to test this theory.

"Doctor," she began with a coy smile. "Did you_ like_ my short skirt?"

Panic spread across his handsome features. He opened his mouth to say something and then let it snap closed again. "I-I.. No? I mean yes? I mean to say that what I could see was very pleasing. Glad to see you're using all the muscles in your legs as you run! Keeps you very fit. Did I just call you fit? I mean healthy! Not that you aren't fit! Or healthy! You're.. I mean.." he trailed off, awkwardly. He took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair.

Rose was loving this. The Doctor was physically squirming! Now more convinced than ever, she took one step closer to him, raising her hand.

He stepped back, instantly. Rose felt the rejection swim through her but she tried not to be deterred. If she could only get him to listen for a minute!

"Doctor," she tried, attempting to catch his eye. It was useless. He was now halfway across the room, mumbling about fixing some circuit or other. He was also avoiding her.

There was only one thing for it. "I guess I'll leave you to it. You're obviously busy and it is clearly very important work. I'm all sweaty from running for my life earlier so I need to shower anyway.."

That caught his attention. He stopped what he was doing and then cleared his throat.

"Shower?" his voice hitching. "Yes, good. Did I say good? I meant to say good that you're not neglecting personal hygiene. Couldn't have that. Imagine! You, sweaty and.. All over the TARDIS.." His eyes rested briefly on her chest. "Well, as you said I'm very busy and important so I need to get back to it. And you need to shower! So there!"

Rose recognized the dismissal. She walked out of the console room.

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The TARDIS was playing tricks on her.

She had been wandering for ages, unable to find the corridor that led to her bedroom. Instead she was being led to the door that contained the wardrobe. Again.

"Come on old girl. I need a cold shower, ASAP," she muttered, putting her hand on the walls.

The TARDIS just thrummed in response.

"What is it? Why are you taking me here?" Rose asked.

The TARDIS was silent.

"_Fine!_" Rose growled, angrily. She was losing her patience. Hopefully there would be a shower somewhere in the vast wardrobe. Or at least a door that led anywhere but here.

She flung the door open and gasped at what lay behind it.

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The Doctor was replaying the conversation he had just had with one Miss Rose Marion Tyler. Though you could hardly call his stuttering and leering a conversation. He had been so rash. So foolish. Too close to revealing what he has tried so hard to keep hidden. And she.. She'd most certainly been flirting with him! That _minx_!

He leaned up against the console, sighing. Didn't she know why he had put these rules in place? Had he not already explained why he couldn't be with her? Why was she intent on making this so difficult?

He rubbed his hand on the back of his neck and closed his eyes. It was getting worse, that much was for sure. It wasn't that he didn't want to be with Rose. Quite the opposite, actually. Imagining her face, he felt the familiar ache in his hearts. This shouldn't even be an option. He wasn't wired the same way humans were. He was a Time Lord. He didn't let hormones and emotions dictate his actions, especially not after nine hundred years! He was a superior species.

The _last_ of that species.

The Time Lords will die out with him. So why was he denying himself the chance to be happy? Surely a short, happy life with her was better than no life at all? He only had a few regenerations left in him. Maybe she'd last that long before she withered away..

The Doctor shook his head and briefly contemplated a life with Rose. It would never be domestic with her, that much he knew. It would be brilliant. But it wasn't fair to take away her human future. He couldn't imagine himself ever wanting to let her go. Maybe she'd never want to leave him, either. He never did give her enough credit. If she claimed she could handle it then maybe she could. Even if she had no true concept of it, she had promised him forever.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps on the grating. His eyes snapped open and he looked up.

When he did, his jaw almost hit the floor.

Rose was standing there. Her blonde hair cascaded in loose waves from where she'd attempted to tie it up. Her cheeks were flushed, like she'd been running. He knew she hadn't been running, though. Not in the past hour. Not in that outfit. He gulped.

He met her eyes apprehensively and hers lit up. She grinned, poking her tongue out through her teeth as she did so. Rassilon, how he loved that smile. His hand twitched as he instinclively reached out for hers.

"Hi," she said, the smile still on her face.

"Rose," he replied, guardedly. "What are you doing?"

"Oh you know, just hanging out.. Thinking about making something to eat. I could make you lunch if you wanted.. Or _serve_ you something, if you'd prefer?" she said, saucily.

He wasn't sure if it was the cheeky look on her face or that absurdly sexy caterer's outfit but The Doctor found his resolve wavering.

He crossed the distance in three quick strides, cursing himself inwardly as he took her face in his hands. "Have you any idea what you do to me?" he asked, seriously.

"Nope," she replied. "But I have an idea 'bout what you're _going_ to do to me.." she said, winking. "You never did show me if you could dance. Go on then. Show me your moves."

That was enough. Without hesitating, he bent down and kissed her.

He brushed his lips against hers lightly. He felt her stiffen and then go limp in his arms. He drew her closer to him, breathing in her scent. As he deepened the kiss, she entangled her fingers in his hair. Her lips parted and she sighed his name. She ran her tongue along his bottom lip eagerly and he shuddered.

He pulled back slightly to see her reaction. She opened her eyes, dreamily. "Hello," she whispered, a satisfied smile spreading across her face.

"Hello," he grinned.

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It was moments like this that made it all worthwhile. It wasn't the aliens, or the excitement. It wasn't saving entire planets or solving mysteries. It wasn't even the running-oh the endless running!

It was this. When they stood together, content in the silence, his arms wrapped securely around her waist. It was her arms draped lightly around his neck.

It wasn't the non-stop moving but the rare time they stood still.

As she buried her face in his shoulder, he gently lifted her into the air. Rose let out a squeal of pure delight and The Doctor set her back down on her feet. He gazed into her eyes and Rose felt him analyzing her every movement.

'You alright?' he asked, evidently trying to keep his tone casual but Rose could hear the burning undertones.

"Course!" she replied brightly. "Been wantin' to do that for ages!"

His expression softened at her response and Rose felt his tight embrace slacken around her.

"Well then," he started. "You never did tell me.. Where to next?"

He barely had time to finish the question before Rose was leading him out of the console room and down the corridor to her bedroom.

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**Hi guys! This is my first EVER fanfic so, if you are reading this, thank you so much! I really hope you liked it. Forgive me for any spelling mistakes. I don't have a beta to pick up my slack, I'm afraid!**

**I just love this pairing and I needed to get this out of my system.**

**I'd love if people R&R'd! I'd definitely write more if I felt it was wanted :)**

**xx**


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